Safety lock for double doors



Oct-24, 1967 E. c. POLLAK ETAL SAFETY LOOK FOR DOUBLE DOORS Filed May 5, 1966 United States Patent 3,348,868 SAFETY LOCK FOR DOUBLE DOORS Edward C. Pollak, 21 Thimble Lane, Hicksville, N.Y.

11801, Bennett B. Harmon, 22055 46th Ave., Bayside, N.Y. 11361, and William Solomon, 46 Croley St., Huntington, N.Y. 11743 Filed May 5, 1966, Ser. No. 558,184 2 Claims. (Cl. 292-280) This invention relates generally to the field of emergency door locks, and more particularly to a locking device for use in maintaining one of a pair of double doors in locked condition during the period in which the other of said doors is also in locked position.

Doors of this ty e, When used as emergency exits, are so constructed that pressure upon a pivotally mounted bar on one of the doors unlocks this door, so that emergency exit may be obtained, and safety regulations require that this action should similarly unlock the other of the pair of doors, without additional ressure exerted thereupon. Thus, movement of the first mentioned, or active door, must also control the other of the doors, generally referred to as the passive door. Devices of this type are known in the art, and the invention lies in specific constructional improvements, permitting simplified operation, facilitated installation, and lowered cost of manufacture.

It is among the principal objects of the present invention to provide an improved safety lock for double doors of the class described which may have a minimum of moving parts, whereby a high degree of reliability may be expected.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved safety lock of the class described, which may be conveniently fabricated at low cost, thereby permitting consequent wide sale, distribution and use.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved passive door lock which requires the positive presence of the active door in closed condition in order to maintain the locking means in locked or engaged condition.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that the inventive construction utilizes only'a single resilient component.

These objects and features, as well as other incidental ends and advantages, will more fully appear in the progress of the following disclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, to which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts through-out the several views.

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation showing an embodiment of the invention in installed condition u on a pair of double doors.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the embodiment.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, cor responding to that seen in FIGURE 2, but showing the active door in opened condition, whereby the passive door is released for subsequent movement.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation as seen from the left hand portion of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a similar fragmentary view in elevation as seen from the left hand portion of FIGURE 3.

In accordance with the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character 10, is shown in FIGURE 1 in installed condition within a conventional double door opening 11 having a door frame 12. The frame 12 mounts a first or passive door 13, and a second or active door 14, the door 14 being selectively locked by 3,348,868 Patented Oct. 24, 1967 "Ice safety lock means of well-known type (not shown). The frame 12 includes a side frame member 15 mounting the passive door 13, and a side frame member 16 mounting the active door 14.

The passive door 13 includes an outer surface 17, an inner surface 18 and a free edge surface 19. The active door 14 is normally placed in abutted relation with respect to the passive door 13, and includes an outer surface 20, an inner surface 21 and a free edge 22. The active door 14 is provided with an overlapping flange 23 to seal the interstice "between the free edges 19 and 22.

The device 10 comprises broadly: a fixed latch element 26, a frame element 27, a movable latch element 28, and movable latch element locking means 29.

The fixed latch element 26 is preferably formed as a die-casting, and includes a planar mounting plate 31 having an inner surface 32 and an outer surface 33. The surface 33 mounts a fixed latch member 34 including first and second projections 35 and 36, respectively, which may be in the form of rack teeth, and defining a recess 37 therebetween. As seen in FIGURE 1, the fixed latch element 26 is preferably mounted upon the transverse member of the door frame 12 by screws or other suitable means.

The frame element 27 is also preferably formed as a die-casting, and is bounded by an inner surface 40, an outer surface 41, side edges 42 and 43 and end edges 44 and 45. Recesses 46 and 47 are formed therein to accommodate passage of the fixed latch element 26, as best seen in FIGURE 1, a pair of recesses being provided to permit installation of the device where the passive door is either to the left or the right of the active door. A third recess 29 permits passage of a portion of the means 29, as will more fully appear hereinafter. The plate 31 is secured to the inner surface of the passive door 13 by screw or bolt means 9 in well known manner.

Mounted on the inner sunface 40 is an integrally cast bracket 50 forming first and second t-runnions 51 and 52, respectively, the trunnions 51 and 52 defining an interstice 53 traversed by a pin or bolt 54. The bracket also forms third and fourth trunnions 55 and 56, respectively, defining an interstice 57 traversed by a pin or bolt 58.

The movable latch element 28 is preferably of a rotary type, and may be formed as a solid die-casting to include side surfaces 60 and 61 and a plurality of teeth 62. As seen in FIGUR ES 4 and 5, when the passive door 13 is in closed position, one of the teeth 62 engages the recess 37.

The movable latch element locking means 29 is in the form of a pivotally mounted first class lever, including a first portion 63 mounted by the pin or bolt 58, and having a terminal 64 adapted to engage the interstice between a pair of teeth 62, so as to prevent rotation of the movable latch element about the pin or bolt 54. The opposite end terminates in an outwardly directed member 64, the free end of which selectively contacts the inner surface 21 of the active door 14. A coil spring 65 normally urges the means 29 to the position shown in FIG- URE 3 wherein the movable latch element 28 is disengaged thereby.

The operation of the device 10 will be understood from a consideration of FIGURES 2 to 4, inclusive. As the active door is moved to an open condition, the means 29 moves to the position shown in FIGURE 3, thereby releasing the element 28, so that a subsequent portion on the inner surface of the passive door will result in the same moving to an open position. When the doors are again reclosed, the passive door is closed first, and pressure from the inner surface of the active door 3 will return the device to the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, thereby locking the passive door.

We wish it to be understood that we do not consider the invention limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

We claim:

1.In a device for securing a first door of a pair of hingedly mounted double doors during the period in which the other of said pairs of doors is in locked condition, said device automatically releasing said first door upon release of said other door, the improvement comprising: a relatively fixed latch element adapted to be secured to a portion of a framed door opening in which said pair of doors is installed, a frame element mountable upon a planar surface of said first door, a rotary latch element mounted for rotation upon said frame element and selectively engageble with said fixed latch element when said first door is in closed position relative to said door opening, and latch element locking means having a component thereof selectively engageable with said rotary latch element to prevent rotation of the same, and a second component projecting into the path of movement of said other door to be contacted thereby when said pair of doors are in closed position.

2. Structure in accordance with claim 1, said latch element locking means including a resilient means urging said latch element locking means to disengaged posi tion relative to said rotary latch element.

References Cited MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner,

E. J. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR SECURING A FIRST DOOR OF A PAIR OF HINGEDLY MOUNTED DOUBLE DOORS DURING THE PERIOD IN WHICH THE OTHER OF SAID PAIRS OF DOORS IS IN LOCKED CONDITION, SAID DEVICE AUTOMATICALLY RELEASING SAID FIRST DOOR UPON RELEASE OF SAID OTHER DOOR, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A RELATIVELY FIXED LATCH ELEMENT ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A PORTION OF A FRAMED DOOR OPENING IN WHICH SAID PAIR OF DOORS IS INSTALLED, A FRAME ELEMENT MOUNTABLE UPON A PLANAR SURFACE OF SAID FIRST DOOR, A ROTARY LATCH ELEMENT MOUNTED FOR ROTATION UPON SAID FRAME ELEMENT AND SELECTIVELY ENGAGEBLE WITH SAID FIXED LATCH ELEMENT WHEN SAID FIRST DOOR IS IN CLOSED POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID DOOR OPENING, AND LATCH ELEMENT LOCKING MEANS HAVING A COMPONENT THEREOF SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ROTARY LATCH ELEMENT TO PREVENT ROTATION OF THE SAME, AND A SECOND COMPONENT PROJECTING INTO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID OTHER DOOR TO BE CONTACTED THEREBY WHEN SAID PAIR OF DOORS ARE CLOSED POSITION. 